


Elementary

by T_Ninja



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F, Feels, Headcanon, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Smut, Spin-off idea, Spoilers for episodes 5x10 to 5x13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 01:05:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7384876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_Ninja/pseuds/T_Ninja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after the events of 5x13.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Elementary

The payphone rings amidst the busy New York street as Shaw walks past with Bear. Shaw looks over and tentatively approaches the phone. She lifts up the receiver and presses it to her ear. 

"Hey Sweetie, it's me.” 

It’s _her_ voice again.

“Can you drop by the subway station?” Root’s – the Machine’s – voice continues, “My core operations are back up, and the numbers are going to start coming again."

Shaw looks up at the nearest traffic camera _._ Looks like Machine 2.0 is up and running _._

 _Guess that means I'm not out of a job,_ she thinks to herself.

She hangs up the phone and makes her way towards the subway, smiling up at the camera, glad to have something that will occupy her time again. 

Shaw presses the familiar buttons on the vending machine, 3-1-4-1-5. The vending machine opens into a door and she descends down the steps towards the hidden subway station with Bear by her side. She hears the faint sounds of typing and takes her gun out from the back of her pants, cautiously making her way towards the sounds with her gun pointing forward, ready to take out any intruders. 

As she steps further into the subway, she sees a figure sitting at Harold's old computer desk. 

 _It can't be_. 

Shaw blinks a few times to make sure that her imagination isn’t playing tricks on her. Bear whines and tugs impatiently at his leash, causing the figure to turn around in the chair. The familiar brown waves of hair swish and sway as the figure turns, until finally those light brown eyes are staring back into Shaw's.

"Root?" Shaw asks aloud, still unsure whether this is just a dream; whether the woman in front of her is real. 

"Sameen," Root breathes as she rises from the desk, tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. 

Bear takes advantage of Shaw's surprised state to pull his leash free of her grip and bound towards Root, nearly tackling her over in his excitement. 

"Bear!" Root laughs, blinking away the tears and sniffling a bit as she crouches down to pet him. 

"Traitor," Shaw mumbles at the Belgian Malanois as she tucks her gun into the pocket of her leather jacket. 

Root looks back up at Shaw and slowly stands up, nervously shoving her hands into the front pockets of her pants. "I'm guessing you might want an explanation," she says, trying to keep her tone light, but there is a slight tremble in her voice. 

"Yeah, that might be nice," Shaw retorts. 

Shaw watches as Bear runs towards his bed in the corner of the subway station and lies down to chew on a bunny slipper, one that matches with the pair that Root happens to be sporting at the moment. She takes a moment to watch Bear play, smiling at the sight before schooling her face back into a neutral expression and turning back to Root. "Well?"

"Where would you like me to start?" Root asks.

"Oh, I don't know - how about the part where you..." Shaw clears her throat. "...where you died and came back to life?"

"I didn't die."

Shaw scoffs. "Well evidently not. Unless I'm somehow stuck in the Twilight Zone - which actually wouldn't be the worst place I've ever been stuck in." 

Root cringes, recalling the months of psychological torture that Shaw had to endure not too long ago. "I'm sorry I let you believe that I was dead, Sameen," She says quietly. "It was a part of the Machine's plan to defeat Samaritan."

"Oh, I can't wait to hear this one," Shaw snarks. 

Sensing the air of hostility coming from Shaw, Root elects to keep her distance as she begins to explain. "That day, in the car, with Harold. I was shot by a sniper, but I didn't die. After I was shot, we were stopped at a roadblock and I was taken to the hospital. Harry up until then had refused to leave the Machine on an open system so that she could better protect us and herself from Samaritan. She would never go against orders from her creator, so we had to think up a plan to circumvent his rules. We figured that he wouldn't take any action unless something...drastic happened."

"So, what? You hired the sniper to shoot you?" Shaw asks. 

"No - the sniper was Samaritan's. But the Machine told me where he was, where I had to swerve, and at what speed in order to absorb the least damage. Doesn't mean that it didn't hurt like hell, though," Root says, subconsciously touching the spot on her stomach where the bullet pierced through.

"Reese got a call from Fusco confirming that you were dead. Is he in on this too? 'Cause I'm gonna go back up to the precinct to kick his lying ass."

"No. Lionel had no idea. He told you what he _thought_ he saw."

Shaw raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"After I was rushed to the hospital, I was taken into the care of Dr. Farouk Madani, who was called in by the Machine. Dr. Madani had helped stitch John up a few years ago when he was also shot by a sniper. The good doctor pronounced me dead - as instructed by the Machine - and took me down to the morgue, where he stitched me up."

"Still doesn't explain why Fusco thought you were dead," Shaw interrupts.

"Patience, Sameen," Root admonishes, "I'm getting to that part. The coroner who was on duty at the hospital that night was "mysteriously" stuck in a traffic jam, so Dr. Madani stepped for a few hours. After all, he _was_ a coroner himself before Harold threw a whole bunch of cash at him to save the big lug's life. When Lionel got to the hospital and the staff directed him to the morgue, he automatically thought the worst: only dead bodies hang out in the morgue. So, from a contextual standpoint, Lionel had already assumed that I was dead.”

“He said that he saw your body on the table. He said that he ID’d you,” Shaw presses.

Root nods. “This is where _perception_ becomes very important, Sameen. Lionel came down and saw my body on the coroner's table: unmoving, pale from the loss of blood, eyes wide open...by the way, thank goodness for numbing eyedrops, I don't think I would’ve been able to keep my eyes open for that long without them. Now, I don't know if Harry ever told you that I was undercover as a psychologist when I first met him-"

"You mean the _first_ time you kidnapped him?"

Root waves her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge. During my time as a fake psychologist, I learned a few things that proved to be very useful. For example, I learned that people tend to avert their eyes and look away when they're presented with something that makes them uncomfortable - and nothing makes people more uncomfortable than looking at the cold, dead body of your comrade whose eyes are still open. So Lionel never attempted to take a closer look. The fact that I was lying still on the coroner's table with my eyes wide open was enough for him to reasonably conclude that I was dead. He left shortly after to call John with the news."

"I feel like this is something I would've seen on an episode of Sherlock," Shaw mumbles.

Root smiles. "No offense to Lionel, but if you had been the one that had gone to the hospital instead of him, you would've probably seen right through our plan."

Shaw scoffs. "Damn right I would. I was a doctor at one point, _and_ I've seen more than my fair share of dead bodies."

Root grins adoringly at Shaw. "Anyway - it gets better. I have a backup of my cochlear implant in case it needs replacing - in our line of work, it'd be reasonable to assume that damaging the implant would be an inevitable occupational hazard. The Machine correctly predicted that Samaritan would try to get to my cochlear implant after I "died," so after Lionel left to call John, I had Dr. Madani implant the backup implant into another Jane Doe at the morgue. The Machine made sure to arrange for Jane Doe's body to be buried in an unmarked grave. John and Lionel figured that it was so that Samaritan's agents couldn't find it, but that was exactly what we were counting on. They'd get suspicious if we made it too easy for them.”

"So wait a minute - you _let_ Samaritan's goons find the subway?!"

"To be fair, Sameen, I knew that you and Lionel could handle yourselves."

"What the hell, Root?! I got shot! And Lionel got stabbed!"

Root tilts her head, confused. "I thought Lionel started wearing vests? Wasn't he wearing one when he got shot just days before that? Why are we so sporadic with our protective gear?"

"This coming from the woman who let herself get shot with a 6.5 caliber," Shaw mumbles.

"Moving on," Root continues, changing the subject. "When Harry uploaded the Ice-9 virus, it destroyed not only Samaritan, but the Machine as well. When she contacted you-"

"Using your voice, by the way-"

Root grins. "Isn't she great? She was such a little shit." 

Root's smile falters and a somber look crosses her face. "The Machine asked you to give Harold a copy of her core code to upload onto Samaritan's satellite because she knew that she was going to die. Even if Samaritan's henchmen find the subway, whatever they found would have been useless to them. But they're idiots and they don't know that, so we gave away the subway's location to divert some of the agents away from Harold and John so that John could reroute the missile."

Shaw stands in silence for a moment before speaking. "So all this time - you were alive?"

Root rolls her eyes. "Well I wasn't just sitting here twiddling my thumbs while the cyber apocalypse was happening around me, sweetie. I was there helping out in the shadows."

"You were?"

"Yeah, I took down a few dirty cops who were going to execute John and Lionel on Samaritan's orders."

"The sniper...that was you?"

"Of course, sweetie. Who else? The Machine was reluctant to hire actual killers to do the job, so I stepped in. She didn't think it was a good idea for me to be out shooting people while I was still recovering, but I couldn't just let John and Lionel have all the fun."

Shaw shakes her head. "I can't believe you made us all think that you were dead this whole time. I killed the asshat who shot you, you know. I thought he killed you."

"Oh, Sameen. It's not like he didn't deserve it; he _did_ shoot me. I just...didn't die from it. Consider it a win-win." 

Shaw pauses and thinks about it for a second. "Good point. You owe me for avenging you, anyway."

"Oh yeah?" 

"Yeah."

"Well…” Root saunters a bit closer towards Shaw. “I killed Martine."

Shaw raises her eyebrows. "That was you, too?"

Root smiles smugly, biting her bottom lip with glee. "Yup. Snapped her neck and everything. I think She might have a recording of it somewhere. We can watch it later if you want. Those combat moves you taught me really came in handy." 

Shaw shakes her head, impressed. And a little aroused. Okay, a lot aroused. "I shot Lambert," she husks.

Root's eyes darken. "I love it when you talk dirty," she murmurs, closing the distance between them and grabbing the back of Shaw's neck to pull her into a rough kiss. 

Root pulls Shaw into her room in the subway and pushes the leather jacket from her shoulders. She shoves Shaw down onto the bed and climbs on top of her, trapping Shaw's body with her own. She leans down to kiss Shaw again, waiting for her to part her lips before slipping her tongue in. She moans when her tongue meets with Shaw's, tasting her for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. 

Root pulls back a little to look into Shaw's eyes. "I've missed you," she whispers. 

Shaw leans up eagerly to press her mouth back to Root's and flips them so that Root's back hits the mattress.

Root lets out a small gasp and Shaw sees a wince flicker across her face. She tugs Root's shirt up to look at her abdomen and sees the still-healing gunshot wound.

Shaw sits back on her heels. "Shit. Sorry, Root...maybe we should wait."

Root grabs Shaw's forearm when she tries to back away further. "Sameen, I'm fine. It's been healing for a month now. It just hurts a bit...nothing you can't kiss better.  

Shaw rolls her eyes. " _Seriously?_ You want me to kiss it better?" 

Root pulls an adorable puppy face. "Please?"

Shaw shakes her head chuckles, positioning herself between Root's legs. She leans in slowly, hovering her mouth over the shiny skin healing over the bullet wound. She blows a warm breath over the wound and watches Root shiver. 

"Sameen," Root breathes, "Stop teasing."

Shaw smirks. She presses her lips gently to the scar, then moves to dip her tongue into Root's navel.

Root arches her back off the bed and moans softly at the contact, the dull ache between her legs intensifying. 

Shaw continues running her tongue along Root's stomach, tasting the slight saltiness of her skin, feeling it warm under her tongue. Her chest tightens when she remembers the moment she heard the news of Root's death over a month ago. Shaw is suddenly overcome with a need to feel more of Root, to prove to herself that she's alive, to make sure that this isn't just another simulation. She sits back and reaches down, pops the button on Root's jeans and unzips them. Root lifts her hips to help Shaw pull down her pants and underwear. Once Shaw pulls them off, along with the bunny slippers (she makes a mental note to ask Root about them later), she tosses the pants somewhere to the side and turns back to Root. She glides her hands, feather light touches, up Root's long, slender legs, feeling Root tremble under her touch. Root feels warm and soft under her fingertips. _Alive_.

Shaw gently parts Root's legs with a hand on each thigh. She leans down, lifts one of Root's legs to settle over her shoulder and moves in to lick up the length of her sex, letting the unmistakable taste of Root coat her tongue. She closes her eyes and commits the taste to memory, one hand still caressing the leg draped over her shoulder. 

"Sameen," Root breathes, "I want to feel you inside me."

Desire pools in the pit of Shaw's stomach. She can't deny Root - not when she's gasping softly and pushing her hips into Shaw's mouth like this, desperate for her touch. Shaw slides two fingers inside and Root lets out a moan as her walls tighten around Shaw's digits. Root is warm and wet and _alive_. 

Shaw curls her fingers upwards and starts thrusting gently, listening to Root's breathing become increasingly ragged with every stroke. She continues to draw gentle circles around Root's clit with her tongue, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. 

Root wants to look down and see Shaw; to make eye contact with her, but she can feel the intense desperation emanating from the shorter woman and can't bring herself to look at her. She thinks of their last conversation together, about the metaphysics of shapes. She thinks about the look on Shaw's face when she received the news from Fusco and the look on her face when the Machine relayed her message to her in the subway car. Root squeezes her eyes shut and lets the tears roll down her face, hot and wet. Suddenly, she feels Shaw's free hand on hers, turning them so that they're palm to palm and then interlacing their fingers. 

"Root. Root, It's okay. I'm here."

Root lets out a soft chuckle. Of course Shaw would be the calm, logical one, even though she was the one who had to live with the belief that Root had been dead for the past month. 

Shaw slows down her thrusting. "Root, hey. Stay here. With me."

Root opens her eyes and looks down at Shaw. Shaw's dark brown eyes were intent on her, as if Root was the only thing - the only person - that mattered. Right now, in this moment.  

"Come for me, Root. I want to feel you come for me," Shaw whispers against her, resuming her movements.  

There was a gentleness that she's never heard before in Shaw's voice, and it pushes Root over the edge, coming with a soft whimper.

Shaw relishes the way that Root flutters around her fingers, the way her clit pulses beneath her tongue. Root is here and she's alive. Shaw continues her ministrations, helping Root ride out her orgasm. She stops when Root shudders against her and gently pushes her away, sensitive from the stimulation.  

Shaw climbs up the bed and lies down next to Root, shoulder to shoulder, on the small twin bed. Root shifts onto her side so that she's facing Shaw, resting her head on the crook of her bent right arm. She can almost see the gears turning in Shaw's head.  

"Sameen. I'm here. I'm alive." 

Shaw turns over onto her side and looks at Root. Looks at her wide, honey brown eyes, the flush of pleasure on her face, the smile twitching at the corner of her lips. She tentatively reaches out and cups Root's face, stroking her cheek with her thumb.

"I thought you were gone," Shaw whispers.

Root covers Shaw's hand with her own and leans into the touch. "I'm right here, Sam." 

With her hand still cupping Root's face, Shaw moves forward and kisses Root gently, parting her lips and letting their tongues meet. The kiss deepens, and soon she feels Root's hands slide underneath her tank top, gliding up her torso. Their lips continue to move against each other as Root pulls off Shaw's hoodie and tank top, followed shortly by her sports bra. Shaw nips at Root's bottom lip before pulling back and helping Root take off her own top and bra. Once Root has haphazardly discarded their clothes to the side, she pushes Shaw gently onto her back and props herself up onto her side. 

Root leans down to kiss Shaw, letting their tongues dance against each other sensually and slowly. "I think you're overdressed," Root comments, mouth still moving against Sameen's. 

"Oh yeah? What're you gonna do about that?" Shaw challenges. 

Root pouts. "I'm injured, Sameen. You're gonna have to help me out with this one," She says, reaching out and pinching playfully at one of Shaw's nipples. 

Shaw rolls her eyes. She reaches down and undoes the button and zipper on her black jeans. She pulls the jeans down to her calves and uses her feet to push them and her boots off the rest of the way. "Better?" She asks.

"Much," Root replies, as she closes the distance between them again, capturing Shaw's lips with hers and pressing their bodies together. 

Shaw moans into the kiss, relishing the feel of Root's body flush against hers. She flattens her hand against Root's chest and feels her heartbeat, strong against her palm.  

Root strokes her hand down Shaw's back, feeling the smooth skin speckled with scars. She glides her hands over Shaw's side and then finally in between Shaw's legs to cup her.  

Shaw lets out a moan at the contact. "You gonna do something about that?" She mumbles against Root's lips. 

Root smiles. "I thought you'd never ask."

Root begins stroking firm lines up and down Shaw's sex, teasing at her entrance and making Shaw buck her hips into her fingers. 

"Root...ah, what was that you said earlier about teasing?" Shaw pants.  

Root smiles mischievously but decides that Shaw has had enough teasing. She gently glides two fingers into her, Root’s mouth falling open as she watches Shaw's lips part, gasping in ecstasy at the feeling of being filled by Root's fingers. She starts a steady rhythm, stroking at Shaw's clit with her thumb. 

"Fuck, Root," Shaw breathes as Root continues to thrust into her, eyes focused on Sameen and taking in every detail of her face. 

"Tell me what you want, Sameen," Root whispers as she increases her thrusting. 

"Mmmmm,” Shaw moans. “I want more...of you," she gasps, eyes fluttering shut. 

Root adds another finger and continues her rhythm. "Like this?" She whispers against Shaw's ear.

"Yes," Shaw breathes. "Don't stop, Root. Ah...I'm so close."

Root buries her face into Shaw's neck and bites down, the jolt of pain causing Shaw to cry out as she comes hard, arching off the bed. 

Root soothes the sting with a lick of her tongue, gentling Shaw through her orgasm and then slowly pulling out and resting her hand on Shaw's hip. 

Shaw blinks open her eyes and looks dazedly at Root. She gives Root a lazy smile and closes her eyes again. "Don’t think that you’re off the hook, Root. We're just getting started. You owe me a month's worth of orgasms for making me think that your stupid ass was dead." She says, eyes still closed. 

"I'm up for the challenge," Root says, smirking. “We can lock ourselves up down here until I’ve fulfilled my duties – numbers be damned.” 

Shaw's eyes shoot open and she props herself up on one elbow. "Wait - where's Bear?"

"Don't worry, Sam. He's sleeping soundly on his bed." 

Shaw relaxes. She reaches for the covers and lies back down to face Root, draping the sheets over both of them. Shaw takes a second to look at Root, studying her face, watching the way her features react when she looks back at Shaw. The quirk of her lips, the sparkle in her eyes. So animated. So _alive_. 

"What are you thinking about?" Root asks, noticing Shaw's reticence. 

"Nothing. I'm just...I'm glad you didn't die," Shaw admits. 

Root chuckles quietly. "Me too. You can't get rid of me that easily, Sameen."

Shaw smiles. "Can't blame me for trying.” She tucks a stray lock of hair behind Root’s ear. “Y'know, I couldn't stand you when we first met."

Root quirks an eyebrow.

"But you wouldn't stop buggin' me." Shaw adds and leans in to kiss Root softly.  

"Does this mean you're warming up to me?" Root teases when Shaw pulls back.

Shaw pauses for a beat. "Maybe. But if you want me to stay and help out with the numbers, some things are gonna have to change around here."

"Oh? And what would those things be?"

"First of all, we need a bigger bed. This tiny ass cot isn't gonna cut it."

"We?"

"Yeah. Obviously. It'll be more efficient if we stay together. Plus, we won't have to fight over who gets Bear for the night. Efficiency. Don't make a big deal out of it." 

Root grins. "Got it. Bigger bed. Anything else?"

"Yeah, we're gonna have to put that new bed in a new place. We are _not_ fucking with the Machine sitting right next to us for the rest of our lives, Root. We need to separate our work lives from our private lives."

"Okay, fair enough. Is that everything?" 

"For now. I'll let you know when I think of more."

Shaw thinks for a second. "And what's with those bunny slippers? And that weird bat pillow thing?" She points to the ugly bat pillow sitting in the corner of the room.

Root smirks. "Long story, Sameen. But for now," she sits up to straddle Shaw, "let's focus on the important things. Like those orgasms that I owe you."

Shaw's hands reach up to grip either side of Root's waist and she moans as Root rolls her hips into her. "Good to see you have your priorities in order." 

**Author's Note:**

> My first time writing a fic that isn't purely lighthearted and humorous, but the situation called for a bit more feels than usual. Hope it came across okay!


End file.
